The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide 2015
Over the past few weeks I have been sourcing a few things that I thought would make great Christmas presents or stocking fillers. Some of these items I've bought myself, some have been sent to me for review and some are things I've found whilst browsing on the internet and are very firmly on my own wish list.
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Useful Gifts You Never Thought Of
I was sent a beautiful Ted Baker (sun)glasses case. When not in use it folds completely flat but its triangular shape means that it is big enough to hold my spare glasses, a contact lens holder and my cheap-and-cheerful sunglasses. I keep this in my handbag all the time now and it is available from Qwerkity for £24.99.
I'm a huge fan of having calming scents wafting around the house so have an abundance of scented candles and my husband uses scented incense sticks however aromatherapy oils are my new go-to for diffusing and burning. I've been using a 14-piece set which comes with a 'recipe' booklet at £34.99 on Amazon from Essence of Arcadia however there is a 6-piece set available too which costs £16.99).
I have mentioned this before in my Things I Learnt In October post but I'm working with magazine.co.uk for the foreseeable future and decided to buy a 12-month magazine subscription of their choosing each for my dad and his wife (officially the two most difficult people to buy gifts for). I'm not even going to make the choice - I'm going to let them decide for themselves!
Rex London featured me on their blog earlier this year as one of their 21 Lucious Lifestyle Blogs (I KNOW...) and also sent me a little gift voucher to treat myself with. I picked up a few extra stocking fillers including some huge storage bags for the grandchildren's toys, a bento box and matching lunch bag for work and some extra bits of stationery which never goes amiss. I always check our their sale section too as there's always a bargain or two to be had (mine was a retro flight bag for £2.95).
Do you know someone who drives long distances? How about getting them a car care kit or a breakdown kit to ensure they are safe whilst travelling? I've got some ideas in my recent Is Your Car Ready For Winter? article and you can add lots of items into this little package for not a lot of money.
I found the perfect pair of gloves which will enable you to stay warm, stay stylish and stay connected. The double layered touchscreen gloves from Mujjo come straight from Holland and incorporate an extra layer made from wool to act as an insulator and a lining. The updated design includes a leather wrist strap with a magnetic snap closure. Special pads on the fingertips of the gloves ensure that you can answer your phone (or even update your Facebook status) in the coldest of weather.
Rex London featured me on their blog earlier this year as one of their 21 Lucious Lifestyle Blogs (I KNOW...) and also sent me a little gift voucher to treat myself with. I picked up a few extra stocking fillers including some huge storage bags for the grandchildren's toys, a bento box and matching lunch bag for work and some extra bits of stationery which never goes amiss. I always check our their sale section too as there's always a bargain or two to be had (mine was a retro flight bag for £2.95).
Do you know someone who drives long distances? How about getting them a car care kit or a breakdown kit to ensure they are safe whilst travelling? I've got some ideas in my recent Is Your Car Ready For Winter? article and you can add lots of items into this little package for not a lot of money.
I found the perfect pair of gloves which will enable you to stay warm, stay stylish and stay connected. The double layered touchscreen gloves from Mujjo come straight from Holland and incorporate an extra layer made from wool to act as an insulator and a lining. The updated design includes a leather wrist strap with a magnetic snap closure. Special pads on the fingertips of the gloves ensure that you can answer your phone (or even update your Facebook status) in the coldest of weather.
The Sports Section
I'm getting a bit more serious about my running now and have entered a few races. I came across RunClips which are the most genius way for you to attach your race number to your shirt without fiddling about with tiny safety pins (and no holes in your t-shirt). Also, if you run a lot and need to carry medical or next-of-kin details then Tagnix are a great way to carry this information via a wristband or a clothing clip.
A recent discovery for me was Chaffree. Trust me when I say this; you'll soon know if you've got the wrong underwear on when exercising and these would be a welcome stocking filler for any fitness freak. I've been using the long leg knickerboxers and they are very comfortable and really do work! Top tip: they size up slightly large so go a size down when buying and they are also great for wearing under dresses.
A recent discovery for me was Chaffree. Trust me when I say this; you'll soon know if you've got the wrong underwear on when exercising and these would be a welcome stocking filler for any fitness freak. I've been using the long leg knickerboxers and they are very comfortable and really do work! Top tip: they size up slightly large so go a size down when buying and they are also great for wearing under dresses.
My big splurge of the year is my Fitbit Surge. I have been using Fitbit devices for a couple of years now to measure my steps during the day and, via their app on my phone, monitoring my runs. I was looking for a runners watch - and there are a few to choose from out there - and found out that the Surge did everything I wanted it to, and more! It's expensive - £199 from their website or £179 from Argos - but it is an investment I wanted to make for my continued running journey and there are cheaper gadgets in the Fitbit family which all work with their app.
For The Stationery Fans
I saw some fabulous Rick Astley 'rick-rolling' pencils on an Etsy shop called LZpencils. I'm not sure if they are still available but there are all sorts of other themed pencil sets on there. The shop/stock is based in the USA but there should be enough time for delivery if you get in quick!
I've been following Ohh Deer for a while but never really dug into their stock however these great day journals appeared on a couple of YouTube videos that I was watching and for £15 you can't really go wrong. I already have a Hobonichi as a personal diary for 2016 but I'm seriously considering this as my desk diary at work. I could also just buy everything on their website and die happy!
I've reviewed a number of notebooks this year. I have fangirled over Pocket Notebooks (the floral and skull Word. Notebooks are my favourite this year), discovered that Filofax now stock a ringless refillable notebook and that Bureau Direct sell the best thermo-sensitive journals ever (but sadly, not the sweary ones any more)!
I've reviewed a number of notebooks this year. I have fangirled over Pocket Notebooks (the floral and skull Word. Notebooks are my favourite this year), discovered that Filofax now stock a ringless refillable notebook and that Bureau Direct sell the best thermo-sensitive journals ever (but sadly, not the sweary ones any more)!
Pampered Pets
I have reviewed a few Pawsome boxes and they are always really well thought out. These are essentially gift boxes for your dog (there is a Purrfect edition for cat lovers too) which contain about five or six toys and treats for your pooch. After filling in a questionnaire on their website, the Pawsome Box is geared to the size of your dog and can be bought as a one-off or as a monthly subscription.
Geeks And Gadgets
I was looking for a new set of headphones to wear whilst out running but also whilst in bed when I listen to my podcasts and came across rechargeable SoundPEATS wireless headphones on Amazon for £13.99. They link to your phone or device by bluetooth and are really lightweight but they also come with three different sizes of ear buds - a huge plus for me as I find that in-ear headphones almost always fall out of my ears! The controls are built into the neckband and the ear buds slot into the end of the neck band when not in use with a magnetic design.
I am a huge lover of powerbanks (I have reviewed a few over on Geekalicious) for charging on the go and we use them for long days out and camping trips. My latest one is the silver Lumsing Grand A1 Plus 13400mAh which is really sturdy. What makes this one stand out from the crowd is that the shell is made from aluminium which fully protects the internal recharging system from damage. There is also added sleep protection which means that the LED charging lights shouldn't disturb you if using this powerbank at night.
Vloggers... you need the Flexible Mini Tripod in your life. I've just discovered this great camera accessory via the YT-Club and it resides close to hand. I can balance my big automatic digital camera on it for and it also comes with a mobile phone attachment and has all the usual angle adjustments. The flexible tripod legs mean that you can wrap it around almost anything to get those fantastic shotes. I have also used it as a 'selfie stick' by bending one of the legs out to use as a handle. Finally, it is really lightweight so won't add too much weight to your camera bag.
Vloggers... you need the Flexible Mini Tripod in your life. I've just discovered this great camera accessory via the YT-Club and it resides close to hand. I can balance my big automatic digital camera on it for and it also comes with a mobile phone attachment and has all the usual angle adjustments. The flexible tripod legs mean that you can wrap it around almost anything to get those fantastic shotes. I have also used it as a 'selfie stick' by bending one of the legs out to use as a handle. Finally, it is really lightweight so won't add too much weight to your camera bag.
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I'll be adding to this list over the next couple of weeks as I make more discoveries. Stay tuned!!